Firewall
by Unnamed.in.whispers
Summary: Set after the events in cyberspace at the close of Tron; Legacy. Finally shaking free of the Rinzler persona forced upon him, Tron seeks to correct the mistakes he made when he turned his back on the user, his friend, Kevin Flynn...
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Firewall **Pairing:** Tron/Female

**Series:** Tron; Legacy **Rating:** T **Type:** Fanfiction

**Summary: **Set after the events in cyberspace at the close of Tron; Legacy. Finally shaking free of the Rinzler persona forced upon him, Tron seeks to correct the mistakes he made when he turned his back on the user, his friend, Kevin Flynn...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Tron characters or anything from the universe of Tron. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to the makers of Tron for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual franchise. Enjoy.

()

_I fight for the users._

()

All was darkness as Tron sank further and further into the deep abyss of the data stream.

_Tron_… a small thought fired in the back of his mind, _all these years; wasted._

A burn hissed at his back as his data disc began to whir into life and he remembered…

He was of the original system. He was brought over to the new grid by his friend, the human User; Kevin Flynn.

_I am Tron, _he thought again of the final battle he had faced in defence of his friend… Where Kevin Flyns creation, Clue, had ambushed them in a bid to take over control and create the perfect system… where Tron had fought and died, only to be reprogrammed into a traitor…

_I am Tron,_ his limbs felt like lead.

It made his will all the stronger.

He wouldn't end like this; he wouldn't end while he was known as something else; something that fought all hopes of freedom and oppressed fellow programmes.

_I am Tron, _he strained against weight of his own, abused body, _not Rinzler…_ _I am TRON!_

And with that, blue, free energy fired through his veins and systems, forcing his limbs into action as he fought the current.

The darkness was crushing, squeezing at his body until dots of coloured light floated in his vision and, in the back of his mind, Tron knew he was already far too deep.

He had come to his senses too late. And this would be his end… again… in failure.

Barely a few moments away from de-resolution, through the final moments of panic, the light faded and the depth of the data stream stretched onto nothing. Tron regretted his weakness; to have lived so long as Rinzler. To have helped destroy what he was meant to protect. Perhaps this is what he deserved.

And, before he gave in to the terrible weight that pushed on him, Trons eye focused on the hazy light that shone through the waters.

He registered the vague feeling of a hand gripping his and then the sensation of being dragged upward through the current.

Then all was darkness.

()

_Light…_ Tron processed as his thoughts came into comprehensible data… _there is light._

There was also warmth and the soft feel of fabric under and around him.

Tron vaguely wondered if he had reached the next level… but then the ache in his muscles dragged him down and he found that even the act of breathing became a struggle.

"You must remain still," a soft voice urged him from beyond his field of vision, "Your system is undergoing a purge. Looks like your subroutines are kicking out an invading programme."

Tron shifted his eyes down and noted the misty light which surrounded him… he was himself once more and went to reach for his disc…

"Looking for this?" A delicate hand produced a data disc above his face, wiggling it slightly for emphasis. "Don't worry. You can have it back when the process is finished."

Tron felt his lips twitch. But he was unable to move… or speak.

"You are quite an interesting programme," the light voice commented as the disc was withdrawn, "I found you, almost de-rezzed in the depths of the data stream. I've never known any programme survive that far down… you must be pretty robust. Nice buffers."

He felt the purge complete as the light faded back into his body and Tron stretched his legs, feeling each millimetre protest at the action. He was unable to repress the groan as he finally sat upright.

"Hi," a bright face beamed, as the owner of the voice moved toward him, "this is yours."

When Tron blinked, his eyes focused on his data disc then narrowed on the stranger.

She was a short, sort of programme, wearing a cobalt body suit that flowed with blue, crystal energy. She was of the Users… not created by Clue who could only destroy another programme, stealing their identity and skill and then alter their personality.

A wave of bitterness overtook Tron as he thought of how Clue had betrayed his friend and his own creator, Kevin Flynn. Then he shook with barely suppressed rage as he thought of how Clue had re-conditioned him by stripping all the ideals instilled into him by the users and installing his own instructions.

Tron swallowed and returned his attention to the woman who seemed to be coolly assessing him with ice blue eyes.

_A medical programme_, Tron mused, _designed to repair those who become damaged? But why was she not on the grid with the others?_

She was not athletic but not overweight either. Was she supposed to be this far away from the main grid? There was one certainty… she had a bright smile, which grew larger as Tron continued to study her.

"You can trust me. I'm quite safe."

He reached out and took his data disc, eying it with uncertainty.

"Hmmm… I did just save you from de-resolution, programme. You could be a little more grateful."

Still unable to speak, for whatever reason, Tron cast a glance around the apartment he was in.

It was a basic, smooth room; filled with clear lines, soft tones and few comforts. There appeared to be little recreational space and Tron could only discern two other rooms beyond the one which they were in. He assumed one was a rest room and the other was a cleaning facility.

"It's not much," the woman smiled at him, "but then, I'm not here very much and I don't have visitors very often… which is probably why I am babbling at you right now." She moved to the large window and indicated to the dark terrain beyond, "You're quite a ways from home you see. Only a few programmes, like me, are designed to function so far off the main grid; which is why I'm here, incidentally, in case anyone gets lost out there."

She moved back to him then, the security codes in Trons programming couldn't help but jerk at the assessed threat… however, she seemed more excited than threatening.

"I'm Sara," she smiled, moving within comfortable distance of Tron and sitting herself on the bed beside him, "Search and Rescue application. I'm designed to seek out and restore programmes that find their way out here. Sometimes that means patching them up but most of the time I just ship them back."

She took his disc from him, putting Tron back on-edge, and, flipping it over in her hands, activated his I.D codex.

"And you're Tron…" she smiled, looking up to him, "security and protective programme. You're designed to go off-grid too. Maybe we have more in common than I first thought."

As passively as he could, Tron reached out and took back his disc, replacing it on his holster and feeling the data connection fire.

It was good to be himself again.

Sara looked intently at him… until he shrugged at her…

"Still can't talk, huh?" Sara asked, sweeping her eyes over his frame, "looked to me like you were rebooting to initial settings. Impressive settings. Do you remember much of what happened to you before you came back on-line here?"

He remembered plenty but erred on the side of caution and shrugged, helplessly at her.

"I saw that battle you were having up there. It looked pretty intense," she said, "no wonder you're finding it hard to access your memory files."

Trons eyes snapped to hers in alarm. He wondered how many others had seen his betrayal of the User; Kevin Flynn.

But Sara remained oblivious to the ache he felt in his heart. She simply smiled and gently said, "How about I resonate some sustenance and you can recharge your energy cells so that, when you're able to talk… you can tell me all about it."

She patted his gloved hand with care and left then, pressing a panel on the wall as she moved to another room.

The floor at Trons feet withdrew, gliding away to reveal a bright pool of energy that lapped about the space like water.

For a moment, Tron felt suspicious but Sara had disappeared, leaving him to his recuperation.

Looking about, Tron removed his data disc and, slipping out of the skin of his uniform, he sank his battered body into the rich liquid, allowing himself to sink his weight and be supported.

Tomorrow, the next battle would come. But for now… he rested.

()


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Firewall [Part Two] **Pairing:** Tron/Other

**Series:** Tron; Legacy **Type:** Fanfiction

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Tron characters or anything from the universe of Tron. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to the makers of Tron for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual franchise. Enjoy.

()

Sarah had prepared a balanced diet from items she ordered off the grid. "All part of the service," she smiled, passing Tron a plate.

He quietly accepted, placing it down and watching his companion closely.

"It's nice to have someone to dinner," she mused, serving her own plate from the central display and taking a particularly large portion with a squeak of delight. "Thought I would put together something special…"

He watched her begin to eat and was content to fill his own plate.

Tron had to admit that he liked this place. Sat, as it was, on a naturally occurring power source outside the main grid, he soaked in the energy from the hot spring beneath the apartment. It was so… peaceful… and he was relaxed, sitting in a comfort-gown while his uniform recharged, he stretched his muscles and enjoyed his food.

Sara had also changed from her off-grid uniform into a more familiar white suit. It confirmed the existence of a diagnostic algorithm to her codex.

"Enjoying your meal?" She asked through a mouthful of her own.

Tron nodded in confirmation and Sara rolled her eyes, "Right," she nodded, "sorry. Still can't talk."

A moment passed as she went back to her food.

"It's a shame, really…" Sara continued, passing him a glass of blue liquid energy, "I was looking forward to hearing your voice."

Tron just smiled, tightly, and accepted the glass. Thus far, Sara had proved a great assistance and an honest program. But these were not honest times and there was no need to tip his hand too early.

If she knew he could talk, there would be endless questions. And she had been too kind for him to dismiss… silence, for now was the easiest and best option.

Tron pressed the glass to his lips.

"You might want to take it easy with that stuff," she warned, cutting into her dinner and nodding toward his glass, "it's concentrate from out here… not processed or grid spring." Sara tipped her glass, "Packs quite a punch."

He nodded and took in just a little, surprised and coughing back the strength.

"Warned you," Sarah said, taking another bite of her meal.

_She did, _Tron agreed and resolved to only have small sips of the strange, yet appealing refreshment.

"Just think," Sara smiled, winking to him, "I could have had let you drink all that quickly and I would have had a vigorous, perennial program at my mercy…"

A little shocked, Tron just blinked as Sara reached for her own glass and winked at him.

"Still… I suppose you would never have forgiven me."

Tron couldn't help a small smile as he shook his head in response.

"No," Sara pouted, "would have been fun though."

He laughed a little at that and was happy to hear Sara laughing as well.

"So," she smiled, moving toward him, "I guess that you're going to be heading back to the main grid after you're done recuperating."

Tron nodded, taking a bite of his meal.

"Got transport?"

He shook his head.

"Right," she said, "well… just give me an idea of where abouts you need to go and I'll get you there."

A wave of gratitude overtook Tron and he reached out to touch Saras hand.

She looked a little surprised at the contact, but soon flashed a grin. "Might be hope for me after all…" then she reached for the bottle of liquid, "top up?"

()

A few hours later, Tron was stood beside Sara's buggy, wearily eying the machine with an element of doubt.

"It's not pretty," Sara admitted, climbing into the front seat of the vehicle, "and the ride's as bumpy as hell… but it'll get you there. Just like me." She grinned again, accentuating her dimples and making her eyes sparkle.

Tron repressed a chuckle and clambered in beside her. He was starting to enjoy the one-way flirting Sara was determined to keep-up. In truth, he quite enjoyed being desired. He hoped he would be forgiven as easily.

The time had gone quite quickly and, while it was surprising, he found he had enjoyed Sara's chatter. She treated him much as she would any other program. Not with the awe he received from others in the past or with the fear his Rinzler persona had inspired.

They began their journey with a jerky misfire…

Sara blushed, "That almost never happens…" she looked up through her lashes at him… "Honest."

He rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Come on then princess…" she said, manoeuvring the buggy out onto the wilderness, "you shall go to the ball."

_Princess?_ He thought, but Sara was busy negotiating the rough terrain of non-space. It was bleak and jagged, but she managed to manoeuvre the bumbling vehicle onto a flatter, more direct route toward the grid.

"I've spent so many years out here," she admitted with a proud tilt of her head, "I'm like a homing pigeon. You want energy, civilisation, or room to expand your little corner of the grid… I can get you there!"

Tron listened, wondering how long Sara had been out in the wilderness.

"I remember when all of this was ready to be programmed," Sara continued with a sad shake of her head, "now look at it."

Tron gazed out to the horizon, witnessing the neglect the area had weathered.

"I was created as a watchman program, though I was never supposed to guard this much undesignated cyber-space. But here I am. Thanks to the fall of the users."

At least that answered Tron's question; she was created before the rebellion. She watched the system become small and conquered by those who would think themselves higher.

"What's that?"

The question threw Tron and he looked to her, but Sara's eyes were focused on her mirror.

Five black, hawk-like air vessels were slicing through the air toward them.

Tron felt each nerve ending fire in his body.

"Looks like a patrol…" Sara mused, "but they shouldn't be this far out…"

Growing alarmed, Tron turned to face the vehicles… could they be reinforcements for the battle he had been part of?

"Pull over." A voice commanded from above.

To Tron's alarm, Sara did just that.

He immediately reached for the wheel of their buggy, only to have it slapped away, "I know what I'm doing."

His anxiety shot up several notches as Sara climbed out of the vehicle.

_She has got to be kidding!_ He thought, but found himself in motion to stand by her.

"Can I help you?" Sara asked as the five programs as they landed and reformed themselves into black-clad, red-energy units.

"You are not on authorised grid premises. Identify yourselves, programs."

Sarah waved a dismissive hand, "This must be a misunderstanding. I'm search and rescue and I'm bringing in a stray." She unclasped her disc and waved it toward them, "You can check my codex if you like. I have full permission to cross zones."

There was something about the situation that unnerved Tron to the extreme and while Sara moved easily forward to ask why they had been halted, there was something in the other programs gait that caused all of Trons security systems to move to high alert.

He watched one approach Sara while the other four split away and moved to circle them.

"Sara," Tron called, eyes on the advancing programs, "get behind me."

"Look, this could all just be a simple misunderstanding…" she began, before turning to him with bright eyes and the widest smile he had seen her produce. "You spoke! You can talk!"

She moved toward him in a fluster of motion, "Say something else… say anything else."

He didn't have time for this now and shifted her behind him with a firm grip.

"Identify yourselves," the unknown figures demanded again.

Sara held up her hands and shouted, "We're just trying to get back to the grid. We don't want any trouble…"

But Tron knew now; the foes they faced were not anti-virus software on grid-border control duties, but something much more threatening. He withdrew his disc, splitting away the outer sheath and brandishing them as weapons.

"Wow… wow," Sarah cried, desperately, "Ok… he's feeling just a little bit threatened here, programs. Why don't you guys back off and Tron will put away the bad Frisbees… yeah?"

One of the aggressors cocked his head, "Tron?"

They shared a look as Sara turned back to him. "Are you famous, or something?"

Tron growled the low and intimidating sound of Rinzler and watched the advancing programs falter for the slightest moment.

"Look," Sara pleaded, "there's still a chance to fix this…"

"CLU has been deleted," the leader of the aggressors informed them, "his last order was that this system would be purged."

"CLU tried to kill the User Kevin Flynn. Any order of his is not valid. You will discontinue this course of action," Tron informed them, "any attempt to deactivate myself, or any other accompanying program will be met with resistance."

"Can someone please tell me what is going on?!" Sara cried out, confused.

"I am Tron," he said to her, watching her eyes widen, "and I fight for the Users."

The moment the words hit air, the attack began from in front and the side of them.

Sara, too shocked to be an opponent, fell back as Tron leapt high into the air and delivered a crippling and fatal blow to the leader of the unit.

While the program pixelated and dissolved before him, he was acutely aware of the four closing at his periphery.

A data disc whizzed by him and his eyes followed it as it circled back on Sara.

To Trons surprise, she flipped backward, the disc narrowly missing her frame as it circled high in the air and returned to its owner.

Sara crouched in defence, eyes wide in shock as she pointed past him and yelled the warning; "Tron!"

It was almost a dance as Tron moved around, under and above the attackers, directing harmful blows their way and feeling some deliver with a deathly thud and spatter as the programs lessened in number.

_Two down_, he thought, _three left._

"User!" He heard Sara's startled gasp as she moved to defend herself from her attacker. Tron watched her bend away from the blows, gripping the unknown programs arm and pulling him to his end.

But as he turned to the final two aggressors, Tron failed to react quickly enough.

One program vaulted over the other and span in the air, up and over Tron, toward Sara. There was no time, as Tron shifted to deflect the charge of his attacker.

He heard a sharp squeal, but couldn't move to check Sara as the black-clad program twisted and thrashed out to him with his data disc.

"Sara?" He yelled, trading blows and kicks while desperately listening for her.

There was a deathly thud from somewhere behind him, followed by the sound of pixilation as he avoided another slice of his enemies disc.

"Sara!"

There was no answer and Tron found the anger within him spill over, making his movements more crisp and aggressive; the opposing program didn't stand a chance.

He brought his fight to a quick end, stepping through the pixilated remains of the last program to look for Sara.

To Tron's alarm, Sara lay on her side a few meters away.

He crossed the space in a heartbeat.

"Sara?" Tron asked, turning her toward him, becoming immediately concerned at her rapid breathing.

"So…" she breathed through juddering teeth, "guess those guys aren't a fan of you?"

Tron shook his head, she was still flippant even now. "Can you move?"

"That depends," she replied, pressing her hands back to her stomach. "I could get back to the buggy… but I doubt I can go further than that."

Tron felt his shoulders sag.

"Sorry."

He couldn't help but smile, "No need to apologise."

Gently taking her hand, he peeled her arm away from her abdomen and took in the jagged tear that tattered her cobalt uniform and split the skin beneath.

"See…" she joked, "it's not that bad."

Tron just gaped at the damage.

"Why don't you go on to the grid and I'll wait here." She suggested, replacing her arm and squeezing it into the damaged area. "Seems like you have unfinished business there."

Tron felt the sting of her words as he realised he had involved her in a deadly chain of events.

He tried to meet her eyes, but she was doing her best to avoid them. There was no chance Sara would survive without immediate attention and she knew it.

"I'm not leaving you." He told her and there was no room for argument.

She smiled a little and laughed, "I'm only going to be a burden."

"Not if we can find a source of energy around here," he countered, kneeling to slip his arms beneath her, "And you're the one that's been living out here for years. Are you telling me there are energy sources you can't find?"

"There are plenty I know of, thanks," she told him, gritting her teeth as he jostled her into a tighter hold; "I just don't know how far can you carry me?"

Pushing up with his legs, Tron looked down at her in his arms, "As far as you like."

Sara closed her eyes and sighed, with sarcasm, "My hero."

"Looks like the Search and Rescue Application is in need of rescuing herself," Tron said smugly. "Which way?"

Pointing off into the distance, Sara narrowed her eyes, "You know… I think I preferred it when you didn't talk."

Tron laughed and started walking, "You saved me. Now let me do the same for you."

"It's a long walk," she warned.

"Then I'll have to keep you entertained."

"Are you going to tell me a story?" She asked, voice wavering as she closed her eyes and turned her face into his chest.

He was too concerned to argue and headed up the incline of the rough grid. "I can. I suppose."

"Will there be a dashing hero?"

Tron smiled, "That depends on your opinion…"

"And a fair maiden?"

Tron came to the top of the incline and looked about, thankful for the change of topic. "Left or right?"

Sara opened one eye, "Left until there is a fork in the path… go right and follow it around the base of a hill."

Tron did as instructed, holding her a little tighter as his footing became less certain.

"So… what was her name?" Sara asked, "Your fair maiden?"

Tron tried not to, but he couldn't help but turn to glance at Sara as she rolled her eyes.

"C'mon," she sighed, "give me a break… I'm dying over here."

"Not if I can help it," he found the words grinding out through his locked jaw.

"Sweet," she smiled, eyes half closed against the drowsiness, "but still haven't answered my question."

Tron couldn't help the smile that spread over his lips. Trust Sara to be just as awkward this close to deresolution as she was at any other time.

In truth, it had been many years since Tron had accessed those particular memory files. They were of the old system… but he answered her, all the same… "Yori. Her name was Yori."

Sara nodded as her body juddered against the pressure she was feeling, "Yori… huh?" Her eyes found his, "Was she pretty?"

Trons security programming sensed danger, "Yes."

Sara chewed her lip, "Prettier than me?"

Thinking about his answer, he shrugged, "She was not a Search and Rescue Application."

"Nice deflection," Sara smiled, "ok. What kind of program was she?"

"Basic admin," he stated, gripping her tighter as he reached the fork in the road and followed the path, "she remained in the old system…" As Tron rounded the base of the hill, he noticed the telltale glow and looked down to the shining pool of energy with a relieved smile. "I think we have found your salvation."

She huffed, "My hero."

He couldn't help but hold her closer in a quick squeeze, "Always."

Scurrying down the incline, he gently lay Sara on the embankment and ran to the pool, removing his data disc and scooping up the bright blue liquid.

Even being this close to it, he felt the energy radiate through his being… it felt so good. A flash of memory pulsed through him as he recalled the last encounter with a wild energy pool in the previous system. He was with his friends; the sports program Ram and user Kevin Flynn.

Ram had remained in the old system and now Kevin Flynn was dead.

A wave of guilt flushed over him and he shook his thoughts to the back of his mind and rushed back to Sara.

Her eyes were closed and Tron had to haul her up to touch the energy to her lips; "Drink this," he found himself saying unnecessarily as he tipped the liquid into her mouth.

Sara's eyes flickered, but remained closed and Tron found himself gripping her tighter, "Sara?"

He couldn't have brought her this far to watch her shut-down.

"Sara?!" He asked with more urgency.

"It's getting so a girl can't even catch her beauty-sleep around here." She complained, opening one eye and frowning unhappily at him.

Tron smiled, watching the neon light firing Sara's system. He did the only thing he could; brought her more energy until she was laughing and feebly pushing the disc full of liquid away from her lips.

"Ok, ok…" she griped her side through laughing, "I think I'll live."

The relief that washed through Tron was palpable as he sat himself beside his friend and shifted her head to rest on his thigh. She was shivering and he gathered her up in his arms to share warmth.

"You fought bravely, you know," he found himself saying.

"Well… clearly not as good as you." Sarah shifted and snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes against the strain of fatigue, "You'll have to teach me a few moves."

"My pleasure," Tron smiled, "though I think you can handle yourself."

He let his thought processes wander for a while, fixing his eyes on the horizon as Sara rested.

"Do you think that we'll reach the mainframe by tomorrow?" He asked.

"I should think so…" she sighed, "I just need a few hours off-line to refresh my power cells and then I'll be as fit as a PSTP."

"PSTP?" Tron questioned.

"Personal Sports Training Program," she answered with a yawn. "Talk to me some more… I like the sound of your voice."

"What do you want me to talk about?" He asked, but when he looked down, he saw that Sara was already off-line.

He smiled.

The questions could wait until she had powered up. So, for now, he kept watch and held Sara close.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Firewall [Part Three] **Pairing:** Tron/Other

**Series:** Tron; Legacy **Rating: Type:** Fanfiction

**Summary:**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Tron characters or anything from the universe of Tron. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to the makers of Tron for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual franchise. Enjoy.

()()()()()()

Sara came back on-line after a few hours feeling refreshed. The damage was still evident, but she was capable of movement and managed to prop herself up on the nearest outcrop to survey her surroundings.

She was alone.

The wilderness of unused space stretched out to the horizon, lit only by the hazy blue light of the energy pool before her.

The waves of power rippled like fluid and, before her eyes, Tron emerged from the pool.

Sara felt her thoughts fault… almost as though her CPU stalled momentarily.

She watched the iridescent liquid roll down the smooth contours of his chest, sweep over the taught muscles of his abdomen and further down… she blushed.

He was semi-naked, exposing his chest, smooth skin and underlying energy veins. The prospect was most appealing…

"Look at his face," she murmured the reminder to herself and forced her eyes up to his.

They were smiling, "You're awake!" He ran a large hand through the mop of wet hair, "I was beginning to wonder."

"Taking a dip, were you?" She managed to say, though her voice quivered.

Tron hadn't heard the fault and laughed, "It's wonderful. You should try it. Might help your healing."

"I'm good right here, thanks," Sara dismissed and then watched as the liquid defiantly clung to Trons thighs as he pulled his form from the pool step by step. "I'm very good right here."

Sara tried to control herself as wild ideas rushed through her mind.

_I am an independent program, _she reminded herself, _I have simply been working alone for a long time._ She stole another glance at Tron who was shaking the stray droplets of power from his tawny hair, _a VERY long time._

"So… decided to wait around for me after all?" She found herself saying.

"I couldn't leave you like that," he shrugged, replacing his black top… rolling it down and over the tanned skin… "And, the truth of it is… I don't know where to go."

He came to sit next to her, offering her a disc of energy which she gladly accepted.

"I know that CLU is gone… but is Kevin Flynn? And what about those hostile programs we ran into? Could there be more of them out there? If there is, they need to be sanctioned, secured and managed."

"Isn't that your job?" She asked, looking up from her drink.

"Yes. But they are only running wild because the server is so insecure. It isn't their fault. And I don't want to force shut-down on them without trying to purge their systems first." He looked at her, somewhat sheepishly now, "Had you ever heard of Rinzler?"

Sara frowned; she had spent almost all of her time off-grid. But some information did filter back to her and the name sounded familiar. "Wasn't he one of the cronies that worked for CLU? Used to go about shutting down programs who worked independently… didn't he kill all those ISO's…"

"Yes," Tron said quickly. "Do you know who he was?"

"I never saw his face," she admitted with a shrug. "But I don't think anyone did."

Tron took a breath, closing his eyes and struggling to find the words, "CLU couldn't create programs… he could only wipe them and over-write their algorithms… but the underlying route command remained the same."

Sara nodded, "I wasn't the only Search and Rescue Application here in the beginning, you know. But the high-and-mighty deemed that there only needed to be one of us. So the others were… redistributed." She remembered the day with a deep twinge of sadness. "I never saw any of them again… are you saying that's what happened to Rinzler? Before he was CLU's right-hand-program, he was a decent sort-of chip?"

Tron didn't answer.

It was then she noticed how wretchedly Tron was regarding her… she felt her eyes widen in dawning, "No… you aren't…"

He hung his head.

An odd sinking sensation soaked through her as she looked upon him and Sara found herself reaching out to catch his chin and tilt his head up to her, "It wasn't your fault. You said so yourself."

Tron reacted as if stung, "I should have been stronger." He pushed roughly away from her, shaking his head and pacing about the small space, "I stopped him from capturing Flynn, but there was no way he should have been able to disable my route commands like that."

Sara watched him in silence, knowing he was simply voicing his inner frustrations. "Perhaps Flynn programmed CLU using you as a template," she suggested, "he brought you over from the old system. He didn't bring any one else… so he must have known what a solid program you are; the perfect template for his own creation."

Tron jerked to a halt, "You're saying that Flynn…"

"Was his own destruction," Sara finished the sentence, shifting to sit straight and explain herself. "I am just a Search and Rescue App. Part of that is a diagnostic subroutine. I analyse. It's what I am. Flynn was a user… a condition in itself which is flawed. But he was over-confident. He saw the best in you and took it for CLU. But he didn't realise that the program he created to be better than himself took all his worst parts as well. CLU took Flynns ambition for this grid and used your strength to oust him." Sara looked sad for a moment, "Flynn thought he was flawless… and that was his first and most calamitous failure."

Tron listened, deep in thought. "So it was inevitable. That's what you're saying."

Sara nodded, "Completely out of your control."

His face hardened, "Not anymore."

Sara wondered what he had meant by that, when Tron shifted and moved her into his arms. "Wow! What's the rush?"

His aqua eyes smiled down to her, "We're going into the main grid. I thought you'd appreciate the ride."

Sara felt him squeeze her closer to his chest as he rose and began the walk to the city. She smiled, thinking of how gallant he was, to carry her all the way…

It was comforting and warm to be in Trons arms again. "And what are we going to do when we get into the city?"

"There's a program we need to see at the _End of Line_ club," he answered, face setting into a fierce stare.

"And how will this help us?"

Tron looked at her, "He can tell us what happened to Kevin Flynn's son."

The journey into the main grid hadn't taken long at all and, even though Sara had tried to convince him she was able to walk the distance, Tron insisted on carrying her all the way.

To her surprise, they were not stopped once on their way to the End of Line club… but given the chaos the main grid appeared to be in, she supposed other programmes has their work cut-out.

Still – she remembered the main grid having far tighter security… back when Tron had been in charge of order… a security that tightened to suffocating levels once he became the infamous Rinzler.

As they closed on the ruins of the building, it became apparent that a program carrying an injured partner was not out of place in the aftermath of the clubs destruction.

"What happened here?" Sara gasped, looking about the wounded programs, limping away from the mayhem or being treated for various damage.

"CLU destroyed the bar." Tron answered, surveying the wreckage.

"And you knew?"

"I helped."

Sara struggled in his arms until he released her. She took a few unsteady steps and leaned against the nearest wall. A strange sensation washed over her as she took in Trons stance.

He seemed determined; focused… even slightly dangerous.

Sara suppressed a shudder as her compatibility ratings with this program attempted to burst beyond 100…

A twinge in her self-diagnostic subroutines made her double over with pain; she was not completely healed, but very gratified to find Tron had joined her immediately.

"What's wrong?" He was asking, concern heightening his tone.

"I'm fine," she said, though her voice belied the pain she was feeling.

"I don't believe you," Tron said. "I thought you were mostly healed."

Sara managed to grind her teeth into a smile and lock her eyes onto his… but the effort expended a great deal of unnecessary energy and she was unable to hold the expression for long.

Tron was at her side, "I'm going to find somewhere for you to power-down."

Sara found a sudden surge of irritation flow through her, "I do not need to power down. I do, however, need to know what I have managed to get myself tangled up in!"

Trons face hardened. "It's a long story," he said, looking up the ruined building.

"I'm not going anywhere," she insisted.

There was a long silence then as Tron considered his next words.

Sara waited. But just as it seemed he had made his decision and had taken a breath, one of the dishevelled patrons of the bar approached.

"Are you… you can't be…"

Tron moved Sara behind him in a quick, firm, defensive movement as the program approached them.

"You can't be him…" the stranger continued, coming close to Tron, a look of horror overtaking him, "It is… you killed…"

"I killed," Tron agreed, to Sara's dismay. "And I'm looking for someone."

The program blinked, taking a moment to process what he'd just heard.

"There were others here… Castor, the entertainment management program, and Gem."

The damaged programs eyes shifted from Tron to Sara and back again, "I… I just came here for some R and R, man…"

Tron moved swiftly, gathering the programs garments in two balled fists. "I need to know… and you will tell me…"

"Tron," Sara reprimanded, squeezing between the pair.

"You're crazy, man!" The other program was screaming. "Castor is dead! He's dead!"

Tron pressed closer, almost crushing Sara between his strong frame and that of the stranger.

"Did you hear him, Tron!" She wheezed, trying to snake an arm between them to lever some space to breathe, "Castor is dead!"

But Tron wasn't listening.

It wasn't until his target whimpered, "Alright… alright… I'll tell you…" that the security program released his grip.

Sara gulped in breath, staggering away from the pair and bracing her hands on her knees.

"There's a den just north of here…" the unknown program said, describing how Tron could reach the location and who he should be looking for.

Sara wasn't listening; she was too preoccupied with recovery. Then she noticed Tron's hand on her elbow as he supported her to stand.

"I have to go," Tron told her.

She nodded, snatching free of his grasp and noting they were alone in the street; he must have been more intimidating than even she had guessed.

"You don't have to come with me," he said, looking slightly hurt by her withdrawal.

Sara angered. How could he just forget the threat that had been in his voice moments before? "You would have killed that program if I hadn't gotten in the way," she said, not able to look him in the eye.

Tron hesitated then straightened, "Yes."

Blinking, Sara looked at him… and perhaps saw him for the first time, "What did they do to you?"

He blinked, not expecting the question… then his expression hardened as he began to walk toward a darkened alley, "The deconstructed me."

She felt her mouth fall open; "They…"

"Rewrote my subroutines…" he said quietly. "They took everything I was and everything I could be… and they made me theirs."

_Brainwashing_, Sara thought, _oldest trick in the book_.

Sara had dealt with a great many programs that had been lobotomised by CLU and his cronies. She had never thought to act against him or join the underground movement to help Kevin Flynn… there was always too much expanding non-space to search for those who had lost their way. When she found a wayward program she had simply patched them up and sent them back…

Sara had never thought on what their futures might hold… or if they would end up in CLU's gladiatorial and barbaric gaming system.

She shuddered, it was almost as bad as compliance… How could she be angry with Tron when she thought on her own actions in that sense?

Without meaning to, she had reached out and took his arm, "Tron…"

"I couldn't stop them," he continued, "I tried to… but I couldn't…"

"Of course you couldn't…" she said, quietly, "It wasn't your fault."

There was a haunted look in his eye as he tried to shake away whatever he was thinking, "I should have been stronger. It's what I was programmed for."

"Tron," she said again, tilting his chin until his eyes met hers, "this isn't your fault. It wasn't really you."

"But it was," he admitted, "it's what they made me."

She couldn't think of what to say to make him better. Her basic commands told her to heal and to help… what could be said?

"Come on," she found herself whispering, "we have a mission, of sorts…"

"I have," Tron corrected, standing to his full height.

"You're not getting rid of me that easy, program!" She grinned, making him smile in return.

Whatever the outcome, she was sticking with this program to the end.

Hopefully, she would find some redemption for him and for herself along the way…


End file.
